Nightmares
by DarkPoisonousLove
Summary: Written for Gruvia Week 2018 Day 6 - Nightmares (apparently). Juvia is visited in her dreams by a demon she thought she had defeated long ago. Rated T because of gory descriptions (not very explicit) and violence.


**A/N: I'm late with this entry for Gruvia Week because I kept procrastinating until the last moment. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Reviews are greatly appreciated.**

It was a lovely sunny day and Juvia was surprised that there was no one in the park. It was usually full of people even on rainy days. She supposed that some people were not afraid of rain. And neither was she anymore. Her days as the rain woman were over. She could enjoy the sunlight now.

She closed her eyes and sighed in content, feeling the sun rays caress her skin. Yet, something seemed off. There was a tingling under her skin. As if something was crawling underneath it.

She was suddenly hyper aware of her surroundings. There was something in the soil. No, not in. Under. It was calling to her. She could feel it in her bones, flowing through her veins. It was urging her to let it out, allow it to roam free.

Her hands started shaking from the force she was using to contain the destructive energy and she clenched her fists. Her nails dug into her skin, bringing her out of her trance. She noticed that the sunlight was gone. She looked up and saw thick dark clouds covering the sky. They had appeared so quickly. As if she had summoned them. But that wasn't possible. The rain that had chased her all her life had been banished when she had fallen in love with Gray.

A drop of water fell on her hand, startling her. She hadn't realized she had started crying. Her fingers brushed against her cheek but there was not a trace of moisture there. Another drop fell on her nose and her stomach got tied in knots. She outstretched her arm, her palm was turned upwards. Another raindrop landed on it. The water felt strange against her skin and was colored in a purplish shade that looked very familiar. Juvia's eyes widened when she recognized it.

"This is my tale," Keyes' voice resonated in her mind.

Juvia shook her head in an attempt to shut him out of her mind. She tried to gain control of the rain but to no avail. Instead of stopping, it started pouring violently as if in confirmation of his words. Every raindrop felt like a whiplash against her exposed skin.

She tried to run away but something held her back. When she looked down at her feet, Juvia saw that her boots were entangled in the grass that was no longer green. It looked yellowish and ill, almost dead but not quite. Despite its fragile appearance it was strong enough to hold her down.

Juvia kept struggling against it but it only seemed to tighten its grip on her. It grew longer, creeping up her legs and snaking around them like tentacles. It was taking over the whole park as if nurtured by the rain, supplanting the healthy grass.

"What's going on?" Juvia shouted but it was drowned out by the sound of the downpour and she barely even heard the words herself.

She received a reply inside her head though. "My tale only needs a little rain to blossom into its finest version."

"No." Her blood ran cold when she realized what he meant.

That was when she heard it. Despite the raging storm, she could make out the sound of something digging from underground. It didn't take long for the first skeleton to show up. It was a tiny creature which she did not recognize. It must have been buried for thousands of years until Keyes' magic mixed with her rain had brought it back.

Other skeletons started popping up too and soon there was a whole army. Most were tiny dead animals that must have lived in the park. But the rain was pouring over the whole town and who knew how many corpses rested beneath.

Keyes' must have sensed her thoughts - or maybe even heard them since he was inside her head – because he spoke again. "Human beings are indeed such convenient tools. Thanks to you your friends will join my experiments."

"N-No." It came out strangled since his words had knocked the air out of her lungs. "Juvia won't let that happen. Water slicer."

The water blades cut through the grass that had already reached her knees and was squeezing her with almost enough force to crush her bones. Juvia ran as fast as she could but at every step the resurrected plants and animals were trying to grab at her and slow her down. She could not allow it.

"Water Cane." The whip-like structure sliced through the grass like a scythe and shattered into pieces the skeletons it came in contact with, clearing a path.

After that initial obstacle she almost didn't encounter any setbacks. The skeletons that had washed over Magnolia did not pay any mind to her. As if Keyes wanted her to find her friends and see the horrors he had in store for them.

When she reached the guild she was completely out of breath and could barely stand on her legs. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep moving despite the pain. She had to find her friends.

First she heard Lucy's joyful laughter. She turned at the direction from which it came and her jaw dropped. Lucy was with a woman that very much resembled her. Or at least she would if she wasn't a rotting corpse. Half the skin of her face was missing, her eyes were gone and Juvia could see her intestines through the hole in her stomach but Lucy didn't seem to notice. She looked on cloud nine.

Juvia was uncertain of what to do. Her friend did not seem in danger and she had yet to find Gray. Lucy would probably be fine if she left her alone for a few minutes, just enough time to look for Gray.

She was about to turn around and proceed with her search but just then Layla opened her arms, inviting her daughter to hug her. Lucy did not hesitate even for a moment and sunk into her mother's embrace. Her smile soon faded though when Layla's arms closed around her like the jaws of a vise and her features contorted into pain. She was going to be killed by her mother's affection which she had missed so much.

"Wings of love."

Juvia's magic pushed the two blondes apart, sending them flying in opposite directions. They both hit the ground heavily but the water mage was happy that Lucy was saved.

"Mom," Lucy screamed in panic and dashed to Layla as soon as she got back on her feet.

Her mother met her with open arms and clutched her once again.

Juvia was at a loss. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't keep attacking them. While Layla was already dead, she could hurt Lucy. Besides, she had to find Gray.

She was still contemplating her next move when she heard Natsu's voice. She debated whether it was a good idea to leave Lucy like that but she had no clue what to do anyway. Maybe Natsu would be able to help her.

She ran back outside from where his voice was coming. She froze in her place when she saw the enormous red dragon standing outside the guild. Natsu was standing in front of Igneel, looking giddy like a kid who just received an entire basket of candy.

The dragon looked a bit better than Layla but his jaw was now consisting of naked bones with no skin to cover them. However, that did not stop him from breathing fire directly at Natsu.

Juvia expected her guild mate to eat the flames but he did not do anything of the sort. He seemed too engrossed in staring at Igneel to notice that his scarf and his hair were already smoking. Even a fire dragon slayer could only take so much fire.

The dragon didn't seem to agree though because it prepared to breathe fire again.

"Water bubble," Juvia managed to activate her magic in time to protect Natsu from the fire. She had to find a way to snap him out of his state if she wanted to be of any help to anyone else. She couldn't babysit him when there were other people who needed help. Like Gray. And Lucy.

A deafening roar made her jump. The source turned out to be another dragon which she recognized. It was Metalicana – Gajeel's dragon. That was confirmed by its appearance and by the iron dragon slayer standing in his feet and looking like he might start crying any moment now.

This dragon was not in top shape either. His wings could no longer take him up in the sky in the condition that they were in. There were a few metallic pieces still jutting out from the bones but that was all. He had sure seen better days.

Judging by what had already happened, Juvia assumed that Metalicana would also try to kill Gajeel. She had no time to do anything though. The dragon lifted its front left leg and crushed Gajeel underneath it. The ground shook.

"Gajeel-kun!" Juvia's desperate scream was lost in the clamor. She turned her back towards the iron dragon when he made a move, not wanting to see the crushed body of her friend.

Her eyes landed on Silver. He looked almost the same way he had the last time she had seen him. Except for the missing skin of his chest. She could see his heart that wasn't beating. In front of him was standing Gray.

Juvia's heart leapt in joy when she saw him. At least he was fine. But not for long.

Silver raised his hand ready to dish out some magic at his own son. And Gray probably wouldn't do anything to protect himself. Which left her no choice but to do it for him.

"Water lock." That wouldn't hold Silver forever. He'd probably manage to escape just like his son did but Juvia didn't want to hurt him. Not again.

"Juvia, what are you doing?" Gray yelled at her, his face contorted in both horror and anger.

"Juvia is sorry, Gray-sama, but I promised your father to protect you." Tears sprang to her eyes and she gritted her teeth, trying not to crumble under his gaze.

"If you don't free him, I will never forgive you." Gray's eyes were blazing with fire and she felt as if she would be burned alive.

Juvia shook her head, tears of helplessness and self-loathing spilling down her cheeks. She couldn't let Silver go. She would keep her promise to protect Gray even if it meant losing him forever. But the hate in his eyes was too much to bear. She closed her eyes.

"What are you going to do now, water witch?" Keyes' voice sounded once again in her mind, followed by his cold laughter.

It was coming from every direction, surrounding her. She was trapped in the whirlpool of his cruelty, unable to take a breath. Her knees hit the ground and a desperate sob left her mouth. She was shaking.

"Juvia," Gray's voice reached her and her heart clenched in her chest when she noticed how worried he sounded. She had failed him. And his father too. Her body was shaking even more violently.

"Juvia," Gray said again but it didn't matter.

She was slipping into darkness. At least she wouldn't have to live with the shame of her failure.

"Juvia!"

Her eyes snapped open and she saw Gray's concerned gaze. He was looking at her with so much love that she wanted to cry again. She must have gone to heaven.

"Thank God you woke up. I was starting to panic." Gray managed a little smile even though he was still visibly worried.

"Wake… up?" Juvia finally put two and two together. "It was a dream." Great burden fell from her shoulders when she managed to tell the dream apart from reality.

"Try with nightmare." Gray brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Do you want to tell me what you saw?"

"Keyes' necromancy had merged with my rain when I had taken in a part of his magical barrier particles and he used it to bring back the dead." Her lower lip trembled at the memories.

Gray hugged her. "Keyes is gone and so is the rain."

"I think it came back because of his necromancy. It revived that part of Juvia," she whispered and her eyes watered just at the though of going back to that life when she didn't know the sunlight. When she didn't know Gray.

"It's alright. It's gone now," Gray said and put a kiss on the top of her head.

Juvia pulled away. "Juvia had to hurt Gray-sama's father again." The tears started flowing just like they had in her dream. "Juvia didn't want to but it was the only way to save Gray-sama."

"It's fine, Juvia," Gray wiped away her tears and pulled her close again, prompting her to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Gray-sama lost his father because of Juvia," she said and the self-accusatory tone stabbed him in the heart.

"That's not true," Gray said and before she could argue, he added, "I haven't lost him. He's right here with us." The devil slayer tattoo on his hand became visible. "And he'll always be here to protect us both."

Juvia's fingers tentatively brushed against the tattoo. The tears had dried and a faint smile was tugging at her lips. She had been right. Nothing could sever the bond between humans.


End file.
